Everybody loves unlimited food and drinks, or at least that is the idea behind Golden West College's yearly fundraising event.
The Huntington Beach community college is hosting Chefs for Scholarships, an all-you-can eat sample of Huntington Beach's...

Robyn Monroe considers sailing a character-developing activity for kids, one that encourages teamwork, courage and responsibility.
And she can provide at least two examples.
The first is a boy, about 9 or 10, who attended the Huntington Beach Sailing...

Here we are — the three of us, our little but precious family, quietly cruising at 35,000 feet comfortably and rapidly heading toward the next chapter of our daughter's life: her first day at college.
I'm happy because I've lived long enough to...

Many Americans on Sept. 11 paid tribute to the servicemen and women who have fought in the past decade's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
This Sunday, the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks will have passed, but U.S. troops will still...

Higher education is undergoing tremendous financial pressure due to the dismal state of California's budget.
Colleges are being forced to increase tuition, and at the same time, they are offering decreased services. While tuition increases and fee hikes gain front-page attention, the cost of textbooks has risen almost twice as fast. Lurking silently in the background, this hidden expense affects every student in California.
That's why I asked the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) to study the...

Juan Valenzuela didn't have a mentor or parents with enough knowledge to answer questions about college, financial aid or his best options for a higher education after high school.
Although the first-generation Mexican American student always planned on going to college, he didn't know where to start and whether he would qualify for financial aid or have to pay his way through until he attended Coastline Community College's Latino Youth Leadership Conference.
"My parents didn't go to college, and they...

Once again, Jeff and Christa Duggan, the husband and wife team behind Portola Coffee Lab at OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa, are bringing Orange County a new coffee experience unlike anything we've had before: a dedicated slow bar to explore the wonders of coffees.
Their new Theorem, an intimate barista-driven and six-seat bar, next to Portola Coffee Lab just opened with hours from 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Take a seat (after you've made a reservation)...

The Alzheimer's Family Services Center board member and volunteer Mary Lou Shattuck has been honored with the Orange County Community Foundation's Philanthropy Award.
Along with the recognition, Shattuck received a $500 grant for the nonprofit organization of her choice, in this case AFSC.
One of the reasons Shattuck was chosen is that she isn't stingy with her time. Along with working with AFSC since 2004, she is also on the board of directors for SPIN (serving people in need), and works with the...

Notables
All that scholastic stress paying off
Chloe J. Lippold of Huntington Beach has been named a President's Scholar with the 2013 incoming freshman class at Cal State Long Beach. She will receive a full, four-year scholarship from the university worth about $70,000.
Lippold graduated with the Marina High School class of 2013 and, fortunately for her, took her high school career seriously. Because of her efforts she qualified for the President's Scholar as a National Hispanic Scholar through the...

Five Coastline Community College students, who are the first in their families to attend college, have each earned a $5,000 scholarship from the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund/Wal-Mart Foundation Scholarship.
Son Mai, Catarina Nguyen, Sophia Sourivong, Hung Ta and an anonymous student will be honored for their achievement at the college's Newport Beach campus Feb. 8, Coastline Community College announced Tuesday.
They are first-generation students from Asian or Pacific Islander...

To young girls, Andrea Licata seems straight out of a fairy tale.
Mesmerized by her glittering tiara, sash and diamond and gold necklace — perks of being Miss Fountain Valley — they stop her to ask, "Are you a real-life princess?"
A gathering at Mile Square Park put Licata face-to-face with one such fan, who struggled to muster the courage to introduce herself.
Initiating a conversation, Licata spent time with the child, learning later from her grateful mother that she had only...